A VERY long time ago the town of Hamel in Germany was invaded by bands of rats, the like of which had never been seen before nor will ever be again.
很久很久以前，德国的哈默尔镇受到了前所未见的大批老鼠入侵，这样的情景再也不会出现了。

They were great black creatures that ran boldly in broad daylight through the streets, and swarmed so, all over the houses, that people at last could not put their hand or foot down anywhere without touching one. —
它们是黑色的巨大生物，在白天肆无忌惮地在街上奔跑，到处都是，甚至人们在任何地方放手或踏脚也难免触碰到它们。 —

When dressing in the morning they found them in their breeches and petticoats, in their pockets and in their boots; —
当人们早上穿衣服时，发现它们在裤子和裙子里，在口袋和靴子里； —

and when they wanted a morsel to eat, the voracious horde had swept away everything from cellar to garret. —
当他们想要吃点东西时，贪婪的大群老鼠已经把地下室到阁楼的一切都扫荡一空。 —

The night was even worse. As soon as the lights were out, these untiring nibblers set to work. —
夜晚更糟糕。一旦灯灭，这些不知疲倦的啃食者就开始工作了。 —

And everywhere, in the ceilings, in the floors, in the cupboards, at the doors, there was a chase and a rummage, and so furious a noise of gimlets, pincers, and saws, that a deaf man could not have rested for one hour together.
到处都是追逐和搜寻的声音，天花板、地板、橱柜、门都被钻子、钳子和锯的噪音填满，就连聋子也无法连续休息一个小时。

Neither cats nor dogs, nor poison nor traps, nor prayers nor candles burnt to all the saints — nothing would do anything. —
无论是猫还是狗，无论是毒药还是陷阱，无论是祈祷还是烧给所有圣徒的蜡烛，什么都无济于事。 —

The more they killed the more came. And the inhabitants of Hamel began to go to the dogs (not that THEY were of much use), when one Friday there arrived in the town a man with a queer face, who played the bagpipes and sang this refrain:
他们杀得越多，越多的出现。而Hamel的居民开始自取灭亡（虽然他们并没有什么用处），直到有一天星期五，一个面容奇特的人来到镇上，他吹着风笛唱着这样的歌词：

‘Qui vivra verra: Le voila, Le preneur des rats.’
‘谁活着就会看到：他来了，捕鼠者.’

He was a great gawky fellow, dry and bronzed, with a crooked nose, a long rat-tail moustache, two great yellow piercing and mocking eyes, under a large felt hat set off by a scarlet cock’s feather. —
他是一个高大瘦长的家伙，干瘪晒黑的皮肤，弯曲的鼻子，一把长而尖利的鼠尾胡子，两只黄色的精明而嘲弄的眼睛，头上戴着一顶大帽子，上面插着一根鲜红的公鸡羽毛。 —

He was dressed in a green jacket with a leather belt and red breeches, and on his feet were sandals fastened by thongs passed round his legs in the gipsy fashion.
他穿着一件绿色的夹克，系着一条皮带，穿着红色的短裤，脚上系着绕过腿部的鞋带，按照吉普赛人的风格。

That is how he may be seen to this day, painted on a window of the cathedral of Hamel.
他的形象如今可以在Hamel大教堂的一扇窗户上看到。

He stopped on the great market-place before the town hall, turned his back on the church and went on with his music, singing:
他在市政厅前的广场上停下来，背对着教堂，继续演奏他的音乐，唱道：

‘Who lives shall see:
‘谁活着将会看到：
This is he,
这就是他，
The ratcatcher.’
捕鼠人。’

The town council had just assembled to consider once more this plague of Egypt, from which no one could save the town.
城镇议会刚刚召集起来再次考虑这个埃及的瘟疫，没有人能拯救这个城镇。

The stranger sent word to the counsellors that, if they would make it worth his while, he would rid them of all their rats before night, down to the very last.
这个陌生人向议员们发了个消息说，如果他们报酬丰厚的话，他会在晚上之前彻底消灭他们的老鼠。

‘Then he is a sorcerer!’ cried the citizens with one voice; ‘we must beware of him.’
‘那么他就是个巫师！’市民们异口同声地喊道；‘我们必须小心他。’

The Town Counsellor, who was considered clever, reassured them.
被认为聪明的市议员让他们放心。

He said: ‘Sorcerer or no, if this bagpiper speaks the truth, it was he who sent us this horrible vermin that he wants to rid us of to-day for money. —
他说：‘不管是巫师还是其他什么，如果这个吹笛手说的是真的，那么是他把这些可怕的害虫送给我们，并希望今天拿钱来解决。 —

Well, we must learn to catch the devil in his own snares. —
好吧，我们就要学会以其自然之道治其自然之妖。 —

You leave it to me.’
你把这事交给我吧。’

‘Leave it to the Town Counsellor,’ said the citizens one to another.
‘交给市议员吧，’市民们互相之间说。

And the stranger was brought before them.
然后陌生人被带到他们面前。

‘Before night,’ said he, ‘I shall have despatched all the rats in Hamel if you will but pay me a gros a head.’
‘在夜幕降临之前，’他说，‘如果你们支付一法郎，我将会肃清Hamel所有的老鼠。’

‘A gros a head!’ cried the citizens, ‘but that will come to millions of florins!’
“一克罗斯一个！”市民们大叫道，“那将花费数百万弗罗林！”

The Town Counsellor simply shrugged his shoulders and said to the stranger:
镇议员只是耸了耸肩，对陌生人说道：

‘A bargain! To work; the rats will be paid one gros a head as you ask.’
“成交！按你所要求的，一克罗斯一个，开始工作吧。”

The bagpiper announced that he would operate that very evening when the moon rose. —
肖控笛手宣布他将在当晚月亮升起时行动。 —

He added that the inhabitants should at that hour leave the streets free, and content themselves with looking out of their windows at what was passing, and that it would be a pleasant spectacle. —
他补充道，居民们可以在那个时候留空街道，满足于从窗户里观看即将发生的事情，那将是一场愉快的景观。 —

When the people of Hamel heard of the bargain, they too exclaimed: —
当哈默尔的人们听说这笔交易时，他们也会喊出： —

‘A gros a head! but this will cost us a deal of money!’
“一克罗斯一个！但这将花费我们大量的钱！”

‘Leave it to the Town Counsellor,’ said the town council with a malicious air. —
“交给镇议员处理吧，”镇议会带着恶意的口气说道。 —

And the good people of Hamel repeated with their counsellors, ‘Leave it to the Town Counsellor.’
哈默尔的好人们跟随他们的议员一起重复着，“交给镇议员处理吧。”

Towards nine at night the bagpiper re-appeared on the market place. —
晚上九点左右，肖控笛手再次出现在市场上。 —

He turned, as at first, his back to the church, and the moment the moon rose on the horizon, ‘Trarira, trari! —
他转过身，像最初一样背对着教堂，而当月亮从地平线升起时，“特拉里拉，特拉里拉！”风笛声嘹亮。 —

’ the bagpipes resounded.
风笛声响彻云霄。

It was first a slow, caressing sound, then more and more lively and urgent, and so sonorous and piercing that it penetrated as far as the farthest alleys and retreats of the town.
起初是缓慢而温柔的声音，然后变得越来越欢快和迫切，如此悦耳而尖锐，以至于能够渗透到镇上最远的巷子和角落。

Soon from the bottom of the cellars, the top of the garrets, from under all the furniture, from all the nooks and corners of the houses, out come the rats, search for the door, fling themselves into the street, and trip, trip, trip, begin to run in file towards the front of the town hall, so squeezed together that they covered the pavement like the waves of flooded torrent.
很快地，从地窖的底部，阁楼的顶部，从所有家具下面，从房屋的所有角落和隐蔽处，老鼠们都出来了，寻找门，纷纷扑向街道，并且“嗒嗒嗒”地开始一字排开向着市政厅的前方奔跑，它们挤得如同洪水般覆盖着人行道。

When the square was quite full the bagpiper faced about, and, still playing briskly, turned towards the river that runs at the foot of the walls of Hamel.
当广场完全被填满时，风笛手转过身来，仍然欢快地演奏着，转向哈默尔城墙下的河流。

Arrived there he turned round; the rats were following.
当他到达那里时，他转身，老鼠们紧随其后。

‘Hop! hop!’ he cried, pointing with his finger to the middle of the stream, where the water whirled and was drawn down as if through a funnel. —
“嘿！嘿！”他喊道，用手指指向河流中央，水在其中旋转，就像通过一个漏斗一样被吸走。 —

And hop! hop! without hesitating, the rats took the leap, swam straight to the funnel, plunged in head foremost and disappeared.
而嘶嘶声中，老鼠们毫不犹豫地跳了下去，直奔漩涡，头朝下一头扎进水中，消失不见。

The plunging continued thus without ceasing till midnight.
跳跃不断地持续到午夜。

At last, dragging himself with difficulty, came a big rat, white with age, and stopped on the bank.
最后，一只白发苍苍的大老鼠艰难地拖着身体爬上岸边。

It was the king of the band.
这是这群老鼠的国王。

‘Are they all there, friend Blanchet?’ asked the bagpiper.
“他们都在那里吗，布兰切特朋友？”风笛手问。

‘They are all there,’ replied friend Blanchet.
“他们都在那里。”布兰切特朋友回答道。

‘And how many were they?’
“他们一共多少只？”

‘Nine hundred and ninety thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.’
“九十九万九千九百九十九只。”

‘Well reckoned?’
“数过了吗？”

‘Well reckoned.’
“数过了。”

‘Then go and join them, old sire, and au revoir.’
“好的，老朋友，去加入他们吧，再见。”

Then the old white rat sprang in his turn into the river, swam to the whirlpool and disappeared.
然后，这只古老的白老鼠跃入河中，游向漩涡，消失不见。

When the bagpiper had thus concluded his business he went to bed at his inn. —
当风笛手完成了他的任务后，他回到旅馆里睡觉。 —

And for the first time during three months the people of Hamel slept quietly through the night.
三个月来，哈梅尔的人们第一次平静地睡过了一整夜。

The next morning, at nine o’clock, the bagpiper repaired to the town hall, where the town council awaited him.
第二天早上九点钟，风笛手来到了市政厅，市议会正等着他。

‘All your rats took a jump into the river yesterday,’ said he to the counsellors, ‘and I guarantee that not one of them comes back. —
“你们的老鼠昨天都跳进河里了，我敢保证它们一个也不会回来。” —

They were nine hundred and ninety thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, at one gros a head. Reckon!’
它们曾经是九十九万九千九百九十九只老鼠，每只值一苏大亨。算一算吧！

‘Let us reckon the heads first. One gros a head is one head the gros. Where are the heads?’
“让我们先算算老鼠的头。每只值一苏大亨，就是苏大亨的苏。头在哪里？”

The ratcatcher did not expect this treacherous stroke. —
捕鼠人没有预料到这一刺。 —

He paled with anger and his eyes flashed fire.
他气得脸色苍白，眼睛中闪着火花。

‘The heads!’ cried he, ‘if you care about them, go and find them in the river.’
“头！”他大喊道，”如果你们关心头，就到河里去找吧。”

‘So,’ replied the Town Counsellor, ‘you refuse to hold to the terms of your agreement? —
“那么，”市议员回答道，”你拒绝遵守协议吗？ —

We ourselves could refuse you all payment. —
我们本可以拒绝支付给你任何报酬。 —

But you have been of use to us, and we will not let you go without a recompense,’ and he offered him fifty crowns.
但是你对我们有所帮助，所以我们不会让你白白走的，给你五十枚金币作为补偿。”

‘Keep your recompense for yourself,’ replied the ratcatcher proudly. —
“将你的报酬留给你自己吧，”老鼠捕手自豪地回答道。 —

‘If you do not pay me I will be paid by your heirs.’
“如果你不给我付钱，我将由你的继承人付账。”

Thereupon he pulled his hat down over his eyes, went hastily out of the hall, and left the town without speaking to a soul.
于是他把帽子拉下遮住眼睛，匆匆离开了大厅，不与任何人说话就离开了镇子。

When the Hamel people heard how the affair had ended they rubbed their hands, and with no more scruple than their Town Counsellor, they laughed over the ratcatcher, who, they said, was caught in his own trap. —
当哈梅尔的人们听说这件事的结局后，他们笑得合不拢口，和他们的市议员一样毫不犹豫，他们嘲笑那个老鼠捕手，说他自己上了自己的圈套。 —

But what made them laugh above all was his threat of getting himself paid by their heirs. Ha! —
但最让他们发笑的是他威胁要让他们的继承人付账。哈！他们真希望自己的余生只有这样的债权人。 —

they wished that they only had such creditors for the rest of their lives.
接下来的一天是星期天，他们都高高兴兴地去上了教堂，认为在弥撒之后终于可以吃到老鼠们没有尝过的美食。

Next day, which was a Sunday, they all went gaily to church, thinking that after Mass they would at last be able to eat some good thing that the rats had not tasted before them.
他们从未想到他们在回家途中将遭遇到的可怕的惊喜。

They never suspected the terrible surprise that awaited them on their return home. —
任何地方都没有孩子，他们全都消失了！ —

No children anywhere, they had all disappeared!
【同上】

‘Our children! where are our poor children?’ was the cry that was soon heard in all the streets.
“我们的孩子！我们的可怜孩子在哪里？”这是很快就在所有街道上响起的呼声。

Then through the east door of the town came three little boys, who cried and wept, and this is what they told:
接着从镇的东门走来三个小男孩，他们哭泣着，这是他们所说的：

While the parents were at church a wonderful music had resounded. —
在父母去教堂的时候，一种奇妙的音乐响起了。 —

Soon all the little boys and all the little girls that had been left at home had gone out, attracted by the magic sounds, and had rushed to the great market-place. —
很快，所有留在家里的男孩和女孩都跑出去，被那魔幻的声音所吸引，纷纷冲向大广场。 —

There they found the ratcatcher playing his bagpipes at the same spot as the evening before. —
他们在那里找到了吹笛子的捕鼠人，就在前一天晚上的同一个地方。 —

Then the stranger had begun to walk quickly, and they had followed, running, singing and dancing to the sound of the music, as far as the foot of the mountain which one sees on entering Hamel. At their approach the mountain had opened a little, and the bagpiper had gone in with them, after which it had closed again. —
然后，陌生人开始快步走动，他们紧跟其后，边奔跑边跳舞，欢快地唱歌，伴随着音乐的声音，一直走到了进入哈梅尔村时能看见的那座山的脚下。他们靠近时，山脉微微张开，吹笛者带着他们一同进去，随后山脉又合拢了。 —

Only the three little ones who told the adventure had remained outside, as if by a miracle. —
只有那三个告诉这个冒险故事的小孩子们奇迹般地留在外面。 —

One was bandy-legged and could not run fast enough; —
一个腿短得走不快的人； —

the other, who had left the house in haste, one foot shod the other bare, had hurt himself against a big stone and could not walk without difficulty; —
另一个匆忙中就一只脚穿了鞋，另一只光着脚，不小心撞到了一块大石头，走路很困难； —

the third had arrived in time, but in harrying to go in with the others had struck so violently against the wall of the mountain that he fell backwards at the moment it closed upon his comrades.
第三个人虽然及时赶到，但在急忙跟着其他人进去的时候，猛烈地撞到了山墙，就在他的同伴被关在里面时候，他朝后摔倒了。

At this story the parents redoubled their lamentations. —
听到这个故事，父母们的哀号声更加悲切。 —

They ran with pikes and mattocks to the mountain, and searched till evening to find the opening by which their children had disappeared, without being able to find it. —
他们拿着长矛和铁锹来到山前，整个下午细寻他们的孩子消失的地方，却找不到。 —

At last, the night falling, they returned desolate to Hamel.
最后，夜幕降临时，他们绝望地回到了海梅尔。

But the most unhappy of all was the Town Counsellor, for he lost three little boys and two pretty little girls, and to crown all, the people of Hamel overwhelmed him with reproaches, forgetting that the evening before they had all agreed with him.
但最不幸的是市议员，因为他失去了三个小男孩和两个可爱的小女孩，而且作为压轴打击，海梅尔的人们都对他垂头丧气，全然忘记了前一晚他们与他一同达成的共识。

What had become of all these unfortunate children?
所有这些不幸的孩子到底发生了什么？

The parents always hoped they were not dead, and that the rat-catcher, who certainly must have come out of the mountain, would have taken them with him to his country. —
父母始终希望他们还活着，希望那个捕鼠者肯定是从山里出来的，带他们一起去他的国家。 —

That is why for several years they sent in search of them to different countries, but no one ever came on the trace of the poor little ones.
因此，几年来他们派人去不同的国家寻找他们，但从未有人找到这些可怜的孩子的下落。

It was not till much later that anything was to be heard of them.
直到很久以后才听说到他们的消息。

About one hundred and fifty years after the event, when there was no longer one left of the fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters of that day, there arrived one evening in Hamel some merchants of Bremen returning from the East, who asked to speak with the citizens. —
大约在那件事之后一百五十年，当那个时代的父母、兄弟姐妹已经都不复存在时，一个来自东方的不来梅的商人傍晚抵达了哈梅尔，并要求与市民交谈。 —

They told that they, in crossing Hungary, had sojourned in a mountainous country called Transylvania, where the inhabitants only spoke German, while all around them nothing was spoken but Hungarian. —
他们说，他们在穿越匈牙利时曾逗留在一个名为特兰西瓦尼亚的多山国家，那里的居民只说德语，而周围却只说匈牙利语。 —

These people also declared that they came from Germany, but they did not know how they chanced to be in this strange country. —
这些人还表示他们来自德国，但他们不知道自己是怎么到了这个陌生的国家的。 —

‘Now,’ said the merchants of Bremen, ‘these Germans cannot be other than the descendants of the lost children of Hamel.’
“现在，”不来梅的商人说，“这些德国人除非是哈梅尔失踪儿童的后裔。”

The people of Hamel did not doubt it; and since that day they regard it as certain that the Transylvanians of Hungary are their country folk, whose ancestors, as children, were brought there by the ratcatcher. —
哈梅尔的人们没有怀疑这一点；自那一天起，他们确信匈牙利的特兰西瓦尼亚人是他们的乡亲，他们的祖先作为孩子被拖鼠人带到了那里。 —

There are more difficult things to believe than that.
有比这更难以置信的事情。